Italian

I enjoy reading where things originate and even more, the meaning behind it. If you’ve ever eaten light, puffy pillows of gnocchi, you’ll be surprised to learn (or at least I was) to find out that gnocchi can also be made with stale breadcrumbs. Strangolapreti is a traditional dish in the Trento area of northern…

If you mention the word cabbage to your carnivore friends, the most likely response will come in the form of a scrunched up nose as they take a step backwards. But, tell them it’s encased in a prosciutto base with Parmesan cheese and suddenly you’re all buddy-buddy with them. This dish I am about to…

Flatbreads have been consumed by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. The humble pizza/pie (an expanded version of a flatbread), became popular in the USA in the mid-1900s when the Neapolitans came over for factory jobs. According to history.com, the first documented pizzeria was Lombardi’s in Manhattan, licensed to sell pizza in 1905 and is…

During the first week in March, Mr. S and I were in San Francisco; he was attending GDC while I was a tourist for 5 days. I had never been before and was eager to explore as much as possible and I did! Each day was packed with something new. We stayed in the Mission…

Sometimes less is more and in cooking terms it’s spot on. Simple ingredients can make any dish shine. Bagna càuda is an Italian sauce made with butter, olive oil, garlic and anchovies. The Italians eat it with fennel, peppers, carrots, cauliflower. Fresh bread dipped in this sauce is simply scrumptious! Or, give your taste buds…

What is your favorite snack? Do you go back to the same one time after time or do you like to venture out and try new ones? If you have not tried fried olives, you must! They are a crunchy flavor bomb! I’ve made these a few times now and each time it’s with a…

Antipasto (Italian – before the meal) simply refers to the dish that precedes all the others to come. It should be colorful allowing the senses to awaken and gets the palate ready for the meal that follows. It is there to whet the appetite and not be too filling. A typical antipasto dish consists of…

This is a busy time of the year with most of us running around doing last minute errands in preparation for the holidays. When I’m short for time, pasta is my savior and the time it takes to cook it I can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes! Toss in some clams and…

Affogato in Italian means drowned. Most are familiar with the dessert version using a scoop of vanilla ice cream and topped with a shot of hot espresso; simple and really quite scrumptious. Broccoli affagato is a simple Sicilian recipe that can be used on toast (crostini), in pasta or on its own as a side. …

Before I chat about this insanely delicious pork scaloppine sandwich, I want to give a high five to the farm-to-table experience in Nova Scotia that’s been brewing here for years. Farm-to-table movement isn’t new nor is it unique to this corner of the world. But what I will say is this; it’s the reason I…